CURATION FACILITY TOURS AT ANASAZI HERITAGE CENTER (07-05-12)

The Curation staff at the Bureau of Land Management Anasazi Heritage Center (AHC) will host weekly “Behind-the-Scenes” tours of its curation and collections management facility through October 31. Tours are open to the public, and are free with the cost of admission to the AHC. Federal recreation pass holders and people under age 18 always enjoy free admission to the museum.

These tours will take place every Thursday at 2 p.m. Each tour can accommodate a maximum of 10 people. Participants may register in advance at the museum’s front desk, or by phone at 970-882-5613 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays.

The Curation facility at the AHC is one of three federal repositories for archaeological materials managed by the BLM, and provides long-term storage for artifacts from public land in southwest Colorado. This tour provides an opportunity to understand why artifacts are curated, how this work is done, and why it is important. A tour lasts approximately one hour.

The Anasazi Heritage Center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week throughout the summer season. For more information, contact the museum at (970) 882-5600 or see its web site at www.co.blm.gov/ahc

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's mission is to manage and conserve the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations under our mandate of multiple-use and sustained yield. In Fiscal Year 2013, the BLM generated $4.7 billion in receipts from public lands.